Chapter 63

“Is this the right time,” asked Andy, “to tell you we never liked him?”

Justin blinked. Twice. Made a sound, a fractured jewel trapped between a sob and a hiccup of laughter. “You didn’t?”

Both twins made faces, and shook heads, in unison.

Justin blinked at them again. “Oh. I—um, give me a minute, okay, I just—I need a sec, sorry—” He vanished, extremely literally: a whip-crack of smoke lingered. He hadn’t gone far; they heard the bedroom door close. Not a slam but definitive.

Kris looked at the stairs. They all looked at the stairs. Justin’s father and stepmother traded glances; James said, “Should I—?” and Bill said, “No, he said give him a minute.”

A minute passed. The family, plus Kris, hovered in the hallway. Made an uncomfortable knot of solidarity: love for Justin, need to arrive at that Midwinter university function, shuffling feet.

Justin didn’t emerge. Stairs resolutely empty of half-demon presence.